


Together

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Explosions, Friendship/Love, Missions Gone Wrong, Prompt: Explosions, Trust, Whumptober 2019, implied past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 00:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21045023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: “…my luck had…to…run out some…time.” Jack managed to force out between pained gasps, and the look in his eyes right now was pure Jack Morrison. The hardened, bitter man that Overwatch’s fall had created, disappearing as he clung to Reinhardt’s hand, and blinked up at him. Far too human in that minute.





	Together

_I have been called, and I must answer. Always._

Reinhardt could never have foreseen what those words, an explanation that had resonated far more deeply with him that he had intended in the face of Brigitte’s disapproval, would lead to or what he would find when he answered the call. He had expected Winston and even young Lena, but he had not allowed himself to hope for more, knowing that the weight of the ruling against Overwatch would stay many people’s hands, even if deep down they had wanted to help. And he had certainly never expected to find other ghosts answering the call, old, familiar faces greeting him when he had arrived at the Watchpoint with Brigitte in tow. Faces that he had never expected to see again. That he had thought were lost, lives that he had failed to protect.

He had certainly not expected to find Jack there.

Although, it could be argued that Jack wasn’t there, because the man who came and went as he pleased was a far cry from the man that Reinhardt had known. From the man that he had loved, and mourned, and whose name had been a scar that he had carried all this time. And yet there were moments when the Soldier would remove the visor and lower the walls that he had built up around himself in the time they had been apart, and in the depth of those blue eyes, he would see glimpses of the man he knew.

It was there now, as Jack looked up at him, dazed and bloody amongst the rubble, one eye visible behind his broken visible. Reinhardt’s shield stopping the press of debris for the time being, but he could already see the cracks beginning to spread across the glistening blue surface.

“What were you thinking?” Reinhardt demanded, voice a low growl, although he was gentle as he pulled away the rocks that had hit the other man before he’d managed to block the worst of the explosion.

_ They were being forced back, what advantage they’d been able to gain through surprise having long since been swallowed up by the sheer number of Talon forces that they were facing, and at some point, Jack and Reinhardt and found themselves on the opposite side of the small town to the rest of their party and the dropship._

_“We’re not going to be able to get to you,” Reinhardt was reporting, seizing a moment to take a breather, feeling his age as he leant against the wall. He was bloody and bruised, but so far, he seemed to have escaped with minor wounds, which was a blessing. Jack was in a similar position, although if he felt as tired as Reinhardt, it didn’t show as he crouched at the doorway to their temporary hideout, finger ready on the trigger. “No, get out of here. We can…” He trailed off as Jack went rigid, and then something sailed over Jack’s head and they both froze as the grenade landed on the ground between them._

_ Jack reacted first, abandoning his pulse rifle as he twisted and lunged forward. Towards the grenade. Then Reinhardt was moving too, Jack’s name on his lips, but it was too late. They were both too late, as the world exploded around them and all Reinhardt could do was throw up his shield, far too late, and hope that they would be granted another miracle._

“I…” Jack was trying to reply, struggling to focus on him, and for a moment it was like they were back in the Strike Team. Reinhardt berating him for being too reckless and forgetting that he was there to shield him from things like this, especially as Jack lifted a bloody, clumsy arm and managed to yank off the shattered remnants of his visor, before blinking up at him. “…I can’t…” He broke off, coughing and spluttering, the sound so raw and painful that it had Reinhardt wincing in sympathy, even as he turned his gaze to Jack’s chest, wondering how much damage was hidden beneath the tattered and torn jacket and body armour.

“Jack?” He murmured, one hand on the other man’s shoulder, trying to give him an anchor as the fit seemed to last for a lifetime, trying to ignore the creaking of the building above them. “Just breathe for me,” he encouraged, even as he fumbled around, searching for Jack’s biotic emitter. He found it, relief flooding him…and dying just as quickly as he pulled it out, taking in the large cracks, and flickering light. “No…” He breathed, planting it on the ground, all the same, praying that the familiar golden light would wash over them, and there was a tiny spark and then it faded with a pitiful whirring sound.

A broken noise had his attention shifting back to Jack, and he started as he realised that the other man was trying to laugh, blood bubbling on his lips as he stared at the emitter. “Jack…” Bloody fingers curled around the hand that he still had resting on Jack’s shoulder, the light touch so far from the usual strength he expected from him, that something cold took root in his chest.

“…my luck had…to…run out some…time.” Jack managed to force out between pained gasps, and the look in his eyes right now was pure Jack Morrison. The hardened, bitter man that Overwatch’s fall had created, disappearing as he clung to Reinhardt’s hand, and blinked up at him. Far too human in that minute.

“It’s not running out this time,” Reinhardt growled, shifting to grasp Jack’s hand in his. “Not on my watch.” Jack snorted at that, wincing straight after, but looking at him. Focusing on him. Which was better than giving up. “The Jack Morrison I know wouldn’t give up.”

“That…Jack died…”

“No,” Reinhardt cut him off, more to stop him wasting what energy he had, although he had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like the words that would have followed. “I don’t think he did.” Dust was beginning to trickle down on them, finding its way through the spreading cracks in the shield and he knew that they needed to move, but this had to be said. In fact, it should have been said a long time again. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t have come back.”

“I nearly…didn’t.”

“But you did.” Reinhardt straightened as much as he could under the shield, releasing Jack’s hand, and instead holding his out in invitation. “You didn’t give up then, so don’t give up on me now.” He lifted an eyebrow in challenge, holding Jack’s gaze, trying not to soften at the pain he could see in Jack’s expression and the way his eyes were starting to lose focus again. “Come on,” he wiggled his fingers. “We’re getting out of here...” For a moment he thought that it wasn’t going to be enough, but then Jack’s fingers brushed against his, still worryingly weak, but trying as he allowed Reinhardt to ease him upright, breathing through his nose as he fought to hold back a pained noise.

“…Together,” Jack finished breathlessly once he was upright, leaning heavily on Reinhardt. The saying from a different lifetime, hanging heavily between them as Jack took a moment to catch his breath and gather what strength he had before he looked up at Reinhardt and nodded.


End file.
